Person wearing gloves and a hat sorts oysters on a metal rack at an oyster farm near the water, with several oyster cages in the background.

Coastal Hatchery Tour

Experiences Overview

June - August
Wednesdays, 1pm - 2:30pm & Fridays, 10am - 11:30am

Rates

  • $75 per person

    (Ages 10 and older)


Where the coast’s harvest begins.

Tour the largest hatchery in Massachusetts and the longest-running facility of its kind on the East Coast. ARC Hatchery Tours take you behind the scenes of where it all begins—watch shellfish spawning and early life stages up close before they head out to local, regional, and national farms.

Plastic tubs filled with water are lined up on a rack in a laboratory setting, typical of what you might see during a Coastal Hatchery Tour, with pipes and equipment visible in the background.

Step inside a working distribution hub to see how shellfish are sorted, measured, and graded in real time before being packaged and shipped to restaurants and fish markets across the country.

Set along the beautiful Dennis Flats, with views stretching toward Chapin Beach, the experience blends active aquaculture with the natural coastal landscape.

 

View of a coastal marshland with patches of water, grassy areas, and scattered shrubs under a mostly cloudy sky—perfect scenery for a Coastal Hatchery tour.

Logo with blue text reading "A.R.C. Shellfish Hatchery" and orange text "Cape Cod," plus orange wavy lines, all inside a blue-bordered oval—perfect for a Hatchery Tour or exploring this renowned Coastal Hatchery.
Six large transparent vertical tanks filled with liquids of varying colors, ranging from dark brown to light yellow, are arranged side by side in a laboratory setting.
A tray with several oysters is submerged in a shallow, water-filled tank near a PVC pipe, likely part of a Coastal Hatchery or water filtration system.

Q&A

Please note this is a working hatchery, so comfortable attire is recommended, including wellies or waterproof footwear. The experience includes both indoor and outdoor spaces, so guests are encouraged to dress accordingly for the weather.

No. There is one full flight of stairs and some smaller staircases between labs.  There are no elevators.

Located in Dennis, ARC is approximately 25 minutes from the resort. For a more scenic journey, take historic Route 6A, lined with picturesque homes, local cafés, and quintessential Cape Cod charm.